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And Parker insists their own summer recruitment will be crucial because anything less than third next year will be failure.

He said: “”If we’re going to lose those sort of players we have to bring quality players in to replace them.

“We finished fourth this year - we have to get people in to help us get higher than that, because that’s our aim.”

Asked if on-loan Celtic playmaker Scott Allan would be one of them, he said: “This is the conversation we’ll have after the last game of the season.

“We’ll have a good chat over what we need and where we need to strengthen. Of course that’ll be in midfield, we’re aware of that and there are targets we want.

(Image: SNS Group)

“But let’s see where we are after Sunday.”

Hibs defeat to rivals Hearts in midweek left them all but out of the mix for second spot, but they can still deny Rangers with victory this afternoon, and also finish the season with their highest ever Premiership points tally.

And Parker insists he and Lennon won’t need to lift their players off the floor after the filleting their manager gave them on Wednesday night.

he shrugged: “No, because they’re professional. When I played, and you didn’t play well in a game and lost, the best thing to do was get right back on the field and put things right.

“And we’re playing Rangers, we need one point to finish with he best total we’ve ever had in the Premiership.

“It’s not a bad thing that he lets the players know how high the standards are here. he wants success.

“The players have said time and again this season that he drives them on.

“Obviously they’re disappointed in his comments but at the same time they know what he’s all about.

“He did it last year, where he laid into them after a game, came in the next day and apologised - and they all went again.

“Of course it’s my role at times to act as a buffer - good cop, bad cop.

“I’m here to try to pick the players up as well as the manager. And we’ve had a good season so it seems to work.”